Question

Does it matter whether species arise via phyletic gradualism or punctuated evolution? What implications might each of these views have for understanding our own evolution?

Answer 1

Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated equilibrium are two ways in which the evolution of a species can occur. A species can evolve by only one of these,or by both. Scientists think that species with a shorter evolution evolved mostly by punctuated equilibrium,and those with a longer evolution evolved mostly by Gradualism.

Gradualism is selection and variation that happens more gradually. Over a short period of time it is hard to notice. Small variations that fit an organism slightly better to its environment are selected for a few more individuals with more of the helpful trait survive and a few more with less of the helpful trait die. Very gradually over a long time, population changes. Change is slow, constant and consistent.

In Punctuated equilibrium change comes in spurts. This is a period of very little change,and then one or few huge changes occur,often through mutations in genes of a few individuals. The species changes very rapidly over a few generations,then settles down again to a period of little change.

So i think it really doesn't matter whether it is evolved from both , but a matter of change in time of evolution occurs.

* Implications of Gradualism and Punctuated equilibrium in evolution of us is not seen more discussed.Though,

In punctuated equilibrium predicts that a lot of evolutionary changes take place in short period of time tied to speciation events. Also their small population size means the genetic drift influences the evolution. The isolated population undergo rapid evolutionary change. It proposes that once a species appears in fossil record the population will become stable, showing little evolutionary change for most of its geological history.

In Gradualism the theory that new species evolve from existing species through a gradual,often imperceptible changes rather than through abrupt,major changes . The small changes are believed to result in perceptible changes over long periods of time.